1help4adhd.org

Everybody can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior once in a while. For some people, however, the problems are so pervasive and persistent that they interfere with every aspect of their life: home, academic, social and work.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children (Visser, et al., 2014.) Symptoms continue into adulthood in more than three-quarters of cases (Brown, 2013.) ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels ofinattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life. However, without identification and proper treatment, ADHD may have serious consequences, including school failure, family stress and disruption, depression, problems with relationships, substance abuse, delinquency, accidental injuries and job failure. Early identification and treatment are extremely important.

Medical science first documented children exhibiting inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity in 1902. Since that time, the disorder has been given numerous names, including minimal brain dysfunction, hyperkinetic reaction of childhood, and attention-deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity. With the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) classification system, the disorder has been renamed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or

NationalResourceCenteron ADHDA Program of CHADD

About ADHD

ADHD. The current name reflects the importance of the inattention aspect of the disorder as well as the other characteristics of the disorder such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Symptoms

Typically, ADHD symptoms arise in early childhood. According to the DSM-5, several symptoms are required to be present before the age of 12. Many parents report excessive motor activity during the toddler years, but ADHD symptoms can be hard to distinguish from the impulsivity, inattentiveness and active behavior that is typical for kids under the age of

More than 75 percent of children with ADHD continue to experience significant symptoms in adulthood. In early adulthood, ADHD may be associated with depression, mood or conduct disorders and substance abuse.

Adults with ADHD often cope with difficulties at work and in their personal and family lives related to ADHD symptoms.

ADHD and Sleep Disorders Diagnosis and Management

SLEEP DISORDERS ARE COMMON AMONG PEOPLE WITH ADHD. If you have trouble sleeping, you’ll probably feel the effects at school

or work, in your relationships, and while driving and going about your daily life.

Diagnosing a sleep disorderTelling a doctor or mental health provider about sleep problems is an important place to start. They’ll need to figure out if anything else might be responsible—your medication, for example, or the dosage of it—or if anxi-ety or depression might be causing your sleep troubles. They will likely ask you questions about your sleep or ask you to keep a sleep diary for a few nights or weeks.

That will mean you’ll have to write down informa-tion about when you go to bed and get up, how many times you wake up during the night, whether you snore, whether it’s hard for you to wake up in the morning, and whether you nap or feel tired during the day. If you wear a personal activity tracker or use an app on your smartphone to monitor your sleep cycles, that informa-tion will be helpful, too.

You may be sent to a sleep center or lab. You’ll spend a night there hooked up to monitors that will measure your brain waves and breathing patterns and the amount of oxygen in your blood. Monitors will also track any activity in your heart, muscles, and eyes. Together, they will provide a picture of how deeply you are sleeping and how long, as well as how often you are waking.

Management of sleep disordersThe management or treatment of a sleep disorder de-pends on the cause.

Adjust your eating and drinking habits. If the prob-lem comes from consuming too much caffeine in the afternoon or drinking too much alcohol, cutting back on those habits—or getting rid of them entirely—can make a huge difference. Another recommendation is to be careful not to have a huge meal right before bed.

Practice good sleep habits. Sleep hygiene is important. Habits to continue or start include:• Turning off your smartphone and television an hour

before bedtime• Leaving your phone in another room at night• Keeping the bedroom cool and dark• Taking naps no later than mid-afternoon• Limiting the length of time you snooze• Going to bed and getting up at about the same time

every day, even on weekends

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For further information, please contact National Resource Center on

ADHD: A Program of CHADD

4601 Presidents Drive, Suite 300 Lanham, MD 20706-4832

1-800-233-4050www.chadd.org/nrc

1help4adhd.org

Everybody can have difficulty sitting still, paying attention or controlling impulsive behavior once in a while. For some people, however, the problems are so pervasive and persistent that they interfere with every aspect of their life: home, academic, social and work.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 11 percent of school-age children (Visser, et al., 2014.) Symptoms continue into adulthood in more than three-quarters of cases (Brown, 2013.) ADHD is characterized by developmentally inappropriate levels ofinattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

Individuals with ADHD can be very successful in life. However, without identification and proper treatment, ADHD may have serious consequences, including school failure, family stress and disruption, depression, problems with relationships, substance abuse, delinquency, accidental injuries and job failure. Early identification and treatment are extremely important.

Medical science first documented children exhibiting inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity in 1902. Since that time, the disorder has been given numerous names, including minimal brain dysfunction, hyperkinetic reaction of childhood, and attention-deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity. With the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) classification system, the disorder has been renamed attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or

NationalResourceCenteron ADHDA Program of CHADD

About ADHD

ADHD. The current name reflects the importance of the inattention aspect of the disorder as well as the other characteristics of the disorder such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Symptoms

Typically, ADHD symptoms arise in early childhood. According to the DSM-5, several symptoms are required to be present before the age of 12. Many parents report excessive motor activity during the toddler years, but ADHD symptoms can be hard to distinguish from the impulsivity, inattentiveness and active behavior that is typical for kids under the age of

More than 75 percent of children with ADHD continue to experience significant symptoms in adulthood. In early adulthood, ADHD may be associated with depression, mood or conduct disorders and substance abuse.

Adults with ADHD often cope with difficulties at work and in their personal and family lives related to ADHD symptoms.

This fact sheet is supported by Cooperative Agreement Number NU38DD005376 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of CDC. Permission is granted to photocopy and freely distribute this factsheet for non-

commercial, educational purposes only, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety, including the CHADD and NRC names, logos and contact information.

© 2019 Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). All Rights Reserved.

Get some exercise during the day for quality sleep. It’s generally recommended that you not exercise too close to bedtime, but some people find that exercising before bed helps them sleep because it causes changes in body temperature that lead to better rest.

Visit your healthcare provider. When the problem seems to stem from medication, changing the time you take it may make a difference, especially if it’s a stimu-lant. It may also be that you need to switch to a different medication that will change your sleep patterns. But do not stop taking your medication or change the dose or time of day you take it without speaking with your doc-tor first. If the sleep disorder is the result of an out-of-sync circadian rhythm, taking melatonin in the evening may help—but again, check with your doctor first.

Other over-the-counter sleep aids are not usually recommended by medical and mental health profes-sionals because they can be addictive, meaning it will be hard for you to fall asleep without them after you

use them for a while, or you may have to increase the amount you take. They also have lasting effects that can make it hard for you to function in the morning after you’ve taken them. In addition, there is always the risk that they will interact negatively with any ADHD medi-cations you’re taking.

Consider alternative techniques. Some people find relaxation techniques such as meditation helpful. You might also try a weighted ball blanket. The small balls inside the blanket act as a calming mechanism through their pressure and gentle weight and provide a sense of security that may allow you to fall asleep more easily. Bright light therapy—sitting in front of a special lamp or light box in the morning—has helped many people adjust their sleep schedule.

Also in this series:ADHD and Sleep Disorders

References:

Hvolby A. (2015). Associations of sleep disturbance with ADHD: implications for treatment. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders 7(1): 1–18. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4340974/

Is ADHD really a sleep problem? ScienceDaily, September 4, 2017. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170904093443.htm

McDonagh MS et al. (January 23, 2019). Pharmacologic Treatments for Sleep Disorders in Children: A Systematic Review. Journal of Child Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1177/0883073818821030

Tsai MH et al. (August 2016). Sleep Problems in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Current Status of Knowledge and Appropriate Management. Current Psychiatry Reports 18(8):76. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0711-4